2025 Toyota Camry Teased

Hopefully the teaser isn't for the Crown SUV they're promising for 11/14. I think the market is ready for a Camry hybrid with available eAWD, widely available in LE trim selling at MSRP and devoid of $2995 "Protection Packages" and $400 worth of "nitrogen" in the tires.
Toyota is dying a slow death in North America, and it's death due to starvation. Their market share is down about 16% year over year.
It appears to be intentional. They make more profit per unit in other areas of the world, so they don't build too many vehicles for the US or Canada anymore. There is a two year waiting list for a Sienna minivan. The result? Kia Carnival sales have almost tripled - year over year - in the month of October. People who need a car don't want to wait two years. They need a car now. They buy elsewhere. Honda decided a few months ago to stop the silly "shortage" nonsense and start building cars. Sales exploded and now they're off the deathwatch list. I see a lot of new CRV and Accord hybrids when I'm out on the roads around here.
Not too many new Toyotas. Dealers are stocked mostly with used cars they bought from auction. I feel bad for the dealer employees who thought they had a career representing the top-rated best-selling products on the market, only to have the manufacturer cut their new inventory to a trickle.
This quarter, the market is on the brink of collapse due to interest rates making payments unaffordable for families, and floorplan costs unaffordable for dealers. One out of six car loan applicants are being turned down. Buyers are more upside down than ever, some with $10k of negative equity, and they're not able to roll it into a loan because banks are no longer writing notes with a loan to value much over 100%. So we're seeing more voluntary repossessions as people don't want to pay a $60k loan on car that's now worth $30k.
Perhaps Toyota is positioning itself to have fresh inventory headed to dealers after the crash, waiting out the implosion as dealers fold under the weight of floorplan obligations, and the aged inventory goes to auction with flatspot tires, rusty rotors, chewed up wiring harnesses and flat batteries.
And if they do finally start building product, let's hope it's a bunch of Corolla HEV, Corolla Cross HEV, Camry HEV, RAV4 HEV and Prime, and a few Grand Highlanders. These are the most wanted models. But I doubt they are the most profitable, so I guess we will see if Toyota listens more to their customers or to their accountants.

 

Yes, and I just read that a hybrid Carnival is coming. Further competition for the Sienna even if supply improves.

 

With the next update, within CY2024, the Carnival hybrid will be here. The Carnival rides on the same platform as the Telluride/Palisade/SantaFe/Sorento, so it will have the hybrid powertrain lifted out of the Sorento. In that shell, I believe it's EPA 39/35 in FWD form, with Sienna at 36/36 in FWD configuration. Even losing 1 or 2mpg due to minivan weight/shape penalty, the Carnival should be close enough to the fuel economy estimates of the Sienna to make it a competitive entry.

 

I went past two Tesla stores the other day. I saw something I'd never
before seen there: invemtory. They have cars ( and Model Y's ) for sale , NOW.

My local Toyota dealer has acres and acres qnd qcres of asphalt , but not
so many cars.

 

It seems the sellable vehicles dealers have are mostly pickup trucks.
I was asked to help someone from my church locate a basic AWD station wagon - oops - crossover -in the range of 20k to 30k. Her mom needs a car and will be paying cash. I told them right away that the real number is more like 30, because "20" is what the Chevy Spark sold for and they stopped building it because there wasn't enough profit in it. I sent them The List last night with their options. Missing from the list - Ford, Jeep and Toyota. Nothing under $30k or close enough to 30 to sneak in. Corolla Cross is listed in magazines and websites as "from 23610" but the cheapest Corolla Cross within 100 miles of us is $30769 - and that's before dealer markups. The closest two units are both listed as "sale pending".
One less Toyota on America's highways. There's no reason to sell a little TNGA "Corolla Country Squire" for $31k + $5k to $7k Dealer Screw Fee + tax when you can buy a car about the same size from a half dozen other brands for $25k to $27k.

 

I've given up on Toyota. I do believe I like the two-motor Accord Hybrids.

 

I remember my dad's Ford Country Squire. It had real genuine
fake wood on the sides and vinyl bench seats

 

On oldcarbrochures.org, I enjoy reading the way they describe the petroleum wood over the years. "The look of rich burled walnut". "Note the rich wood textured trim along the sides that never needs varnish and will not chip or splinter". Uh huh. It goes along with the sumptuous and rich Matelasse fabrics. Yeah. That and a standard 232 six and three on the tree. Ah the good old days when you could get a pimpmobile with a 90hp straight 6 and a stick. Just what I need to go rollin' down the strip, with the ladies gettin' all fogged up and woozy over the tasteful (!) elk-grain paisley vinyl roof and optional whitewall tires and full wheel covers!

Jumping ahead 55 years to today's market, there are about half as many automakers and far fewer options that are in reach of the middle class buyer. They are designed and priced to be leased in three year increments.

 

I'm sure they wont be any larger than 24".

 

Yes, I’ve never seen an invemtory, either.